After 10 years of rocking the underground urban world, LA Symphony gets its first Dove award nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop Album courtesy of the Gospel Music Association. Now with Syntax Records, the five-man band is being recognized for its critically acclaimed remixes and rarities collection, Unleashed.

“It’s great to be recognized,” says Joey the Jerk. “It’s like someone finally saying, ‘We hear you, and we like what you have to say.'”

UNO Mas adds, “Thanks for the nod! It is truly unexpected — especially for this album — but we’ll take it!”

The nominated album is a milestone for Syntax Records as well. Unleashed is the first Dove nomination for the label. LA Symphony joined the Syntax family (home of RedCloud and Braille) in 2007, and their first release quickly climbed the urban charts. The media hailed the album as remarkable, and the respectable Source magazine said, “LA Symphony uses their creativity to keep the music compelling.”

“We are glad to share this honor with LA Symphony,” says Syntax Records president and co-founder Tim Trudeau. “We started around the same time and have been able to watch each other grow in our various circumstances. To get this nomination when we finally got to work together is enjoyable.”

Unleashed is up against records by Group 1 Crew, KJ-52, John Reuben and GRITS. The Doves will be released during the awards ceremony on April 23, 2008, at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. You can watch live on the Gospel Music Channel.

LA Symphony is Flynn, CookBook, UNO Mas, Joey the Jerk and Sharlock Poems. Since 1996, this prolific group of rappers have made hip-hop music that stretched all over the world. LA Symphony’s songs were featured on MTV’s Cribs and Pimp My Ride, Tony Hawk Playstation and NBA Live Xbox games. They’ve collaborated with such greats as will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, De La Soul’s producer Prince Paul, artist Posdnuos and many others.